The Voyager covered with reality syrup
by Raymond Monaghan
Summary: A regular day for student Brad Frasier ends with his life being turned upside down and being sent to where he could only dream of being………. The Starship Voyager! As for the story title, don’t ask.
1. Earth today, gone tomorrow

Title: "I'll have the Voyager covered with the reality syrup."

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek blah blah blah, you get the idea by now I'm sure.

Summary: A regular day for student Brad Frasier ends with his life being turned upside down and being sent to where he could only dream of being... The Starship Voyager! As for the story title, don't ask.

A couple of notes to set the opening scene: We start off in Glasgow, Scotland, on September 12th, 2006. Brad Frasier is a white male, 19 years old, 6ft 2 inches tall, 190lbs, medium build, blue eyes with fair hair, and white-blond highlights. Where we start, Voyager has already aired all it's 7 seasons, so I guess there is no real particular timing where Brad arrives, between the 4th and 7th season is the best I can say for now. Wording is in UK-English.

Chapter One: "Earth today, gone tomorrow."

Brad Frasier entered his flat after another long hard day of work. He gave a sigh of relief after closing the door. He's a student by day and an increasingly un-happy McDonald's worker by night. Currently in his 2nd year of a 4 year Computing degree at Glasgow Caledonian University, with a mounting student debt that is at present over £12,000.

Brad just dropped all his things, grabbed a beer and switched the TV on. It was another one of those days he was just too drained to study for. He knew that was a bad idea considering he has got a test tomorrow.

"Ack, it's just a wee test, nuthin to worry about." He thought out loud. He also added wishing he had a roommate, not only for the company, but to split the costs of the apartment as well.

It was getting close to midnight, Brad knew he should quit for the night and get some sleep.

"Just one more programme, Voyager is about to start on Sky One." He changed the channel to Sky One and just caught the show in time.

"Great, another hour where I can forget about the struggle that is my life!" Although Brad had watched every episode of the show before, he loved watching the re-runs, he always learned something new each time he watched an episode again.

"Boy what I'd give just to be with them..." He pondered.

"No disease, poverty, or money issues. Just be the best you can be..." His out-loud thoughts got cut short after getting startled from the sound of battering rain off the window beside him. The heavens had opened, and the rain fell by the bucket-load.

"Hmm, must be that storm they were talkin about on the news..." A flash of light suddenly appeared and almost instantly...BANG! Brad hit the floor to take cover, then suddenly realised that lightning just struck outside on his balcony. He went out to the balcony to check for damage.

Upon opening the balcony door he could notice a rather large hold in the ground of where part of his balcony once was moment ago.

"Aww shit. Callahan's' gonna be pissed when he sees this in the morning, just what I need!"

Before Brad could do as much as take another breath, a white light all of a sudden struck him, and in an instant, all he could see was an endless white void, bar for himself.

"Well this isn't good..."

...In the 24th Century...

"Captain's log supplemental, after a brief re-supply stop in the Kellis system, we have resumed our course to the Alpha Quadrant. Seven's latest scans of our immediate surroundings show no ships or life-supporting planets for 10 light-years. As I result, I've ordered some R&R for the crew."

Captain Janeway was touring her ship, the only occasions when she has done so before is prior to a major battle, or, when she was bored out her skull. Luckily for everyone, it was the latter and not the former. Janeway entered Engineering.

"Captain..." B'Elanna approached her. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Quite alright Lieutenant, just having a stroll." Janeway approached the Lieutenant. "Anything out of the ordinary going on?"

"I'm afraid not Captain, we've been doing maintenance work all-day." She explained. "Though if you like, the plasma relays could use some fine-tuning." She joked.

"Sounds like fun." Janeway smiled. "Beats walking around all day, you give me a hand B'Elanna?"

"Of course." The two women set to work on a large diagnostic console on the lower floor of Engineering.

Brad had been stuck in this place of white light for several minutes now, no one answered his calls, he tried walking, then running, but couldn't even tell if he was moving or not.

Moments later, the white light started to fade, Brad was beginning to see surroundings, the first was some sort of multi-coloured glow inside some sort of silver cylinder, it wasn't very wide whatever it was, it only occupied a small part of his arc of vision. Another few moments past and the white had totally subsided.

Brad didn't take long to figure out where he now was.

He was on Voyager! He was certain of it, specifically; the upper-floor of Engineering, that cylinder he saw was Voyager's Warp Core! He couldn't see any of the crew around, he concluded they simply all must be working down below him.

Brad took some time to take in and study his new surroundings. He could hear that "hum" of the ship, the bleeping of the consoles, and the graphics on them were all in a very high resolution as he looked up close to them, none of that cheap low-res junk he saw in he "behind the scenes" documentaries about Voyager. He still needed more to believe where he was.

"Computer." He said in a low voice, not wanting to alert anyone to his presence just yet. He heard the computer's beep, a signal that it was awaiting him to speak.

"Identify this ship." He queried.

In that familiar female voice he was hoping to hear, it said: "This is the Federation Starship USS Voyager, registry NCC-74656."

Wow, he thought, but let's try some more. "Are we in the Delta Quadrant?"

"Affirmative."

"I can't believe this."

"Please re-phrase the request."

"I wasn't talking to you. At least the computer behaves the way I expected it to."

Brad started to ponder, what is going on here? Have I died and gone to my personal heaven? Did I get struck by lightning and simply having a near-death experience? I'm I in a coma as a result just dreaming? If that was true, then it would make sense why he would be seeing Voyager, it was fresh in his mind, the first bolt of lightning interrupted him watching it. As he was also a keen fan of the X-Files, he remembered how many times Scully's "logical" theories always turned out to be wrong.

There was a fun way to find out; he looked over to the weapon's locker, and let out a little chuckle.

"If I'm dead or comatose, I shouldn't get hurt." He opened the locker and took two hand-phasers, Brad could live his little Kiefer Sutherland fantasy and take on impossible odds with just two guns to see him through it all.

Brad then heard the sound of the lift ahead of him, someone would be up here in a hot minute, he had to hide somewhere fast, or he'd lose the element of surprise, and a great chance for a whole heckva lot of fun. He remembered there wasn't much room for cover on this part of the ship, he went to the very back wall, there were some pillars that could hide a person to a certain angular degree, but if anyone went to the opposite side of the room he'd be done for. There wasn't anymore time, he took his chance and hid there, phasers in hand ready to strike if need be.

There was at least two people approaching, both female, they were still a little too far away to figure out who, due to the humming of the Warp Core. A few moments later as they got closer he figured out the voices, they belonged to none-other than Captain Janeway and B'Elanna Torres! Lucky for Brad, the two women were operating a console on his side of the room, meaning he couldn't be seen for the moment.

He tried to figure out his next move while the two women were talking, does he just shoot them and move on to the others? The sensors would pick up his phaser blast and Tuvok would have a welcoming committee for him, he couldn't take the women hostage, they would just get beamed to safety, or they would beam him to the brig. Brad decided on the former, he readied himself and turned round to face the women, pointing a phaser each at both of them.

Captain Janeway was surprised to say the least. "What the hell..." Two phaser blasts cut her off, she and Torres fell to the floor.

"Wow! That went better than I thought." Then a little voice in his head said to him: shouldn't you have maybe checked the phaser settings Brad? BEFORE you shot them?

"Computer, what are the settings of these two phasers I hold?"

"Stun setting number two." The dry female voiced replied.

"Good, only knocked-out for 15 minutes. No hard feelings I hope?" He directed to the two unconscious women.

Before Brad could even think of doing anything else, the lights dimmed and the alert klaxons sounded.

"So much for my big surprise, I better get moving before security nails me in a very tight corner." Brad headed for the ladders to take trip down to the lower-floor of Engineering, the lift would leave him exposed and would also take too long. In a Kirk like style from Star Trek II, he got from the top of the ladders to the bottom in only a couple of seconds.

Some of the staff saw him and got startled. Brad aimed his two phasers to the nearest targets and just let rip in a Lon Suder fashion, incapacitating everyone in Engineering in a matter of a few seconds.

Brad smiled. "He done it and it was gooood!" (Ed: Little thing from Bruce Almighty.) He darted to the nearby turbolift door, and just in time, as a security team under Tuvok's command entered main engineering.

Brad was running on adrenaline now, and shouted: "Deck 5!" Going to the bridge would be too risky, too secure an area now, where else would there be a lot of targets about?

"Computer, beam me to the mess hall!" Brad's skin started to tingle. "Oh my god!" The familiar transporter shimmer he saw a million times before on the outside, took him, and in milliseconds he could see the mess hall. There were at least a dozen people around, all un-armed though, but Brad done his stuff nonetheless, and then ran outside.

He finally saw the security team that was tracking him in engineering, but no Tuvok. The two officers fired on Brad, but they missed and were on the ground seconds later from far more accurate shooting from Brad. He turned round to see Tuvok, who fired on him once he faced towards the tall Vulcan. Out of instinct, Brad raised one of his phasers to protect himself, it took the blast and it was thrown out of his hand.

Before Brad could re-act again to defend himself Tuvok fired once more and the blast stuck the young man on the chest. Brad felt like he just got his heart punched. Shouldn't get hurt, huh Brad? Was his parting thought before slipping into unconsciousness...

End of chapter 1.

Author's notes: There we go, end of the first chapter of my first story ever. :-) Please write a review with your comments.

This was a story idea I had a very long time ago, after I saw "Future's End" way back in 1997. Out of all the fan-fiction I've read over the years, very few I've ever read explored the idea of someone from our reality going to the Star Trek one, so I thought, I should just go out and do one too. Such the story concept I think is still quite under-used.

Enough of my babbling for now, hope you enjoyed reading this so far as much as I have writing it.


	2. No bills

Title: "I'll have the Voyager covered with the reality syrup."

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek blah blah blah, you get the idea by now I'm sure.

Chapter 2: No bills

Captain Janeway opened her eyes, and saw her Chief of Security standing over her, she felt dizzy for a moment but then remembered what happened.

"Report" Sounding slightly dazed.

"Captain" Tuvok began. "The intruder was captured four minutes and twenty-seven seconds after fireing his initial phaser burst. He his now in sickbay sedated, and behind a level six forcefield under guard. Are you or Lieutenant Torres injured?"

"I'm a little dazed Tuvok but I'll be fine, it seems we only got stunned. You B'Elanna?" Janeway asked.

"Fine now Captain." The younger woman replied.

The Captain's head cleared up, and she knew it was time they found out what the hell just happened and why.

"Tuvok, I think it goes without saying, there's a lot of questions that have to be answered about what just happened here." She began. "An intruder somehow got aboard this ship without sounding the intruder alert, then obtained access to weapons that are supposed to be secured and then tried to cause havoc aboard my ship. I want answers Commander." The Captain ended her statement sounding understandably irritated.

Tuvok nodded and said. "Agreed Captain, it is disturbing that seemingly one man accomplished all of this unaided, the Commander has already begun work in an attempt to find those answers Captain." He continued. "Mr Kim and Seven of Nine have already started a diagnostic of the computer systems and should have a preliminary report within the hour."

Janeway nodded. "Very good. I'm going to head to the bridge for a full status report and then to sickbay, to see how our uninvited guest is doing."

Janeway made her way to sickbay and entered. Sure enough two guards were posted at the master bio-bed, she could here the hum of the forcefield Tuvok was referring to. The Doctor was behind the forcefield leaning over the young man, scanning him no doubt. The Doctor saw Janeway and immediately headed towards her, and he wasn't looking all that happy.

"Captain!" He said, sounding rather exasperated. "I must object to these security measures that have been insisted upon, its overkill. Not only is my patient behind a security forcefield and under armed guard, but he is also under a restraining field."

Janeway wasn't particular in the mood for another of the Doctor's moral stances. "Doctor, this man patient or not, almost wrecked havoc aboard this ship and assaulted more than one of the crew. Right now I consider him an immediate threat to this ship and crew and until I'm convinced otherwise the security measures stay in place, is that clear Doctor?" She was in full Captain mode now, not even an unbreakable hologram like the Doctor would dare her wrath.

"Very well." The Doctor grudgingly said. "However, after you've heard what I have found, I think you'll agree these measures are unnecessary." He paused for a moment.

"Continue Doctor." She said. "Just what have you found?"

"Normally." He started. "Medical ethics would dictate I cannot give you any medical details without consent from the patient. With these circumstances however I can tell you. Our guest appears to be someone from the past Captain, he's a fully human male approximately 19 years old. Judging from the carbon dioxide residue that was present in his lungs, he appears to be from the early 21st century, definitely pre World War Three era. When and where exactly only he can tell us."

Janeway looked at the Doctor and said. "What do you mean exactly by the carbon dioxide that _was _present in his lungs?"

The Doctor looked at her with a somewhat puzzled look on his face. "Why I treated him of course." Janeway sighed and rolled her eyes at him in annoyance. The Doctor continued. "Captain, regardless of who he his or where he came from he is here now and had conditions requiring my treatments to cure."

Janeway looked at him and said. "Doctor, if this man is from the past as you have already said, then suppose he gets back to his own time and as a result of his new found health and longer lifespan he will now have a different impact on the timeline, which could very possibly alter the flow of human history."

The Doctor slouched slightly, now realising what Janeway had said. "I'm sorry Captain, I didn't think of that, but my first duty is always to my patients and I'll do everything in my power to keep them at their very best health."

Janeway nodded and gave a small smile, knowing the Doctor always had the best of intentions in mind. "Regardless Doctor, what's done is done. What exactly did you treat him for if I might ask?"

The Doctor gave a small, but proud smile. "The list was extensive Captain. I infact treated many conditions I would never normally would have to consider. While his condition would be considered very good by 21st century standards there were many terminal ailments I cured.

There was evidence of several cancers including skin, stomach and nerve cancers one of which would have developed later in his life. Very hard to treat then but a very simple matter now to take care of. There was early evidence of a heart condition that would have been likely to affect him in his 50s, and I had to give him a special injection to purify his blood of several diseases. I could go into more details Captain but I believe you get the idea. Sufficed to say, he is now as healthy as you or anyone else on board."

Janeway considered what he had said and looked over to the pair of security standing in front of the forcefield.

"You two are relieved from here, lower the forcefield and resume your normal duties." The guards acknowledged her command, lowered the forcefield and left sickbay.

The Doctor smiled. "Thank you Captain."

Janeway approached the unconscious man lying on the bio-bed. "When will he be awake Doctor?" She asked.

The Doctor followed her and replied. "I can wake him now if you like."

"Do it." She instructed. "But maintain the restraining field from his waist down, until we get some answers from him."

The Doctor programmed the bio-bed and loaded up a hypospray. "As you wish Captain" He injected the spray to the young man's neck.

"With all the treatments I've had to perform on him it will take a moment or two for the hypo to take effect." He explained. "I'll be in my office if you require me."

"Thank you Doctor" Janeway responded, and the Doctor headed out of view to his office. The young man's eyes began to flutter open.

Brad could feel himself awaken, when he opened his eyes he was expecting to see his apartment, hospital or something like that. Instead he saw an on-looking Captain Janeway, with a look of curiosity on her face. "Welcome aboard." She said with a hint of sarcasm. "I'm Captain Kathryn Janeway of the starship Voyager, we met earlier today, but I didn't get to say too much before you shot me and my engineer."

"I'm still here." Brad said, not fully acknowledging Janeway's words. "Why I'm I still here?"

"I can't answer that." Janeway replied, Brad lay up and then stopped, no doubt discovering the effect of the restraining field, he then looked to Janeway and she spoke again. "Would you mind telling me who you are? I have a few questions for you."

"Brad." He said. "Brad Frasier."

"Mr Frasier." Janeway continued. "Could you tell me what you were doing before you got to this place?"

"Yeah. It's a bit of a blur, but I think I remember. I was in my apartment watching TV, a wild storm started up. I heard a huge noise right outside on my balcony, it seemed to have got struck by lightning. I went outside then a huge flash of white light overcame me and I seemed to be in an endless void of whiteness, then I was here."

Janeway's look changed to one of suspicion. "So despite being in a strange place, you seemed to know how to access and then operate a phaser, why did you shoot us?"

He looked at her and explained. "Well to be honest, I thought I was dreaming, dead, comatose or something. I thought I'd have a bit of fun with the thing since it wasn't likely to last all that long. When I got shot, I thought I'd wake up back home or something. I didn't expect to be here again."

Janeway was still on the sceptical side, but understood what he was saying. If what he says was true and the same thing happened to her, she'd probably do some odd and reckless things as well if she believed she was dreaming.

"Very well." She said. "Another thing I should ask you Mr Frasier..." Brad interrupted her. "Please call me Brad, I never really liked being called Mr Frasier, but thank you for your manners in doing so."

"Alight." Janeway gave a smile. "Brad. Do you know what year this is?"

"Of course." He said, slightly surprised by the question. "It's 2006."

Janeway's face went a little gloom. "I'm afraid that's no longer accurate. You're in the late 24th century, about 35,000 light-years from the planet Earth in the Delta Quadrant, just outside the Kellis system. I don't suppose that's much use to you."

Brad gulped. He was really here, on board Voyager. He guessed what they said is true. Be careful what you wish for, you may get it.

"Not really Captain." He said. "All I know now is, I am really here, there's nothing to suggest otherwise, and with that being so, I can assure you I won't be running around blasting ray-guns in my hands." He chuckled slightly at the thought, so did Janeway.

"Well, I'm sure this is quite a wakeup call for you. Let's take you to some quarters so you can rest and put together your thoughts." Janeway deactivated the restraining field and Brad got up, they both headed out of sickbay.

Janeway continued. "I do still have some questions for you however. I'll ask you them later though, as I'm sure you have much on your mind right now." They were walking through the corridors on the deck, Brad looking around in awe, at almost everything he passed, each extra metre he saw was proving to him he was on the real Voyager and not some elaborate set, they entered the turbolift.

"Thanks Captain." He said, genuinely grateful for her hospitality. "If I did what I did where I came from, I'd either would have been shot dead or be lying in a prison cell with a splitting headache waiting for a trial."

"It's changed days indeed Mr Frasier." She replied, she went on to explain. "With the progress that's been made since your time, humanity now adopts completely non-lethal capturing methods for any potential criminal, with a common sense and realistic view to solving one's disposition."

Brad was looking at her, paying attention to Janeway, what she was saying really caught his interest, Janeway continued. "There is no longer any petty crime on Earth, and the few 'prisons' as you would refer to them, are to help rehabilitate the criminal, find out what caused them to commit the crime they did. Not just simple incarceration to keep them out of the general public's way like in your time. In fact over 90 of the criminals we do get that are for disobeying orders or regulations, they're not the type that would just walk up to a stranger and shoot them."

The two approached a door and Janeway stopped, gesturing her hand towards the door.

"Here you are." She said.

He smiled as he entered the room. "Thanks Captain. Thank you for the little history lesson as well, its good to see we as humans have made such progress." Brad couldn't believe the size of his room, unless he was mistaken, it looked bigger than his whole rented apartment.

Janeway went on to explain the basics and gave a brief tour, saying what was what and how they operated.

"The food replicators are voice interfaced, as is the sonic shower. I think that's all you need to know for now, I'll have someone come for you later when I want to speak to you again. For now, just sit back and relax."

"Thank you Captain." He said as he sat down on the bed, testing it out. Janeway exited his room.

"Wow." He said to himself. He couldn't believe it, he was here and a luxury room to sleep in as well that would put a 5 star hotel back home to complete shame.

Brad then gathered his thoughts, he felt he was right on not spilling the beans on where he really does come from, not that he would likely be believed anyway. Telling the Captain why he knew so much because she and Voyager were a TV show to him wasn't likely to stand up well. At least not till they got over his antics earlier and got to know him a little more. For now he was just going to enjoy things until the Captain summoned for him again.

He then lay on the bed, grinning, looking up at the ceiling. "No bills….." He said.

Captain Janeway walked away from her new visitor's quarters. With many thoughts on her mind. She still wasn't completely sure about him, he seemed to be genuine when he said he thought he was just dreaming, and she was certainly sure now that he was really from the past. That didn't explain however why he seemed to have some sort of understanding of his surroundings, then there was his access of the phasers and his site-to-site transports. Both of those require at least Starfleet voice security clearance. She didn't want to press him on that just yet, till she got the report on the computer.

The intercom opened and interrupted Janeway's thoughts.

"Chakotay to Janeway."

She tapped her commbadge. "Yes Commander, go ahead."

"We've completed the initial computer diagnostic." He said. "You better come up here and have a look at this, you need to see this for yourself."

"On my way." She entered the nearest turbolift and headed for the bridge.

End of Chapter 2

Questions or comments? You know what to do, write up a review!


	3. Discussions

Title: "I'll have the Voyager covered with the reality syrup."

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek blah blah blah, you get the idea by now I'm sure.

Chapter 3: Discussions

After hearing Commander Chakotay's report, Captain Janeway thought it was time to bring all the senior staff up to speed and not to mention get some opinions on what to do in this highly ill-regular situation, the staff just assembled and took their seats, Janeway stood up and began to speak.

"Harry, tell the rest of the senior staff what you just told me ten minutes ago please."

Kim began to explain the findings he had. "After completing the computer diagnostics, we now know why our visitor was able to execute computer commands, he has level 12 security clearance to all systems on board the ship."

"Level 12." Seven stepped in. "Senior Starfleet flag officers and above only possesses that clearance level."

"Correct Seven." Janeway said. "Even as captain of this vessel, I have only level 10 clearance. This means our guest has complete control of all ship systems at the sound of his voice. Continue please Harry."

"Aye Captain. After we discovered this, I begun to dig further into the computer and try to establish how those credentials got added in there. So far, nothing whatsoever and I have managed to confirm that his code did not exist until a few minutes prior to his arrival. It's like his code just appeared into our system out of thin air, just like he did. There is nothing in the computer that's out of the ordinary, its like nothings been touched in 2 days." Kim sounded clearly frustrated at not finding the cause, and wasn't happy with the out of thin air theory.

Janeway took over again. "So the question remains, how did he get those credentials, and how did he get here? I'm open to theories not matter how outrageous."

Chakotay spoke up. "Maybe it's our old friend Q's latest joke on us. I for one am not laughing."

Janeway shook her head. "No, this isn't Q's style. He's too 'in your face' to be this clever or devious, and I spoke to our guest for a little while, he seems human enough to me."

Torres now joined in. "An initial sweep of Voyager didn't find any evidence of chronoton particles, or any of the other classic temporal displacement telltale signs. As far as our sensors are concerned, he just came out of thin air just like that." She snapped her fingers to emphasis her point.

Janeway was sounding irritated. "That's twice someone has said he came out of thin air. I'm not satisfied with that answer, if you take someone's eyes away they cannot see. The answer is here somewhere, waiting to be found."

Tuvok joined the discussion. "So what you suggest then Captain, is that something or someone, did something, which resulted in the appearance of our guest and the subsequent entry in our computer banks?"

Janeway shot back. "Are you trying to be funny Mr Tuvok?"

Tuvok raised his eyebrow in true Vulcan fashion. "It would not occur to me Captain."

Before Janeway could open her mouth to say something else, Seven came back into the fold of the discussions.

"This line of inquiry is irreverent." She stated. "Our unwanted passenger is here regardless of how it happened, and that is not open to debate."

Chakotay nodded. "Agreed Captain. I think we should focus on what to do with Mr Frasier first and figure out how he got here later when the full diagnostics are completed." Paris, Kim, Seven and Torres all nodded in agreement.

Janeway sat back into her seat. "Very well. We'll get back to that later. First matter then is an obvious one, what to do with his security access? None of us can simply remove it, and since security files are part of every other file on the computer, we couldn't delete it without losing half the main core."

Chakotay was first to offer something. "Why don't we just ask him to relinquish his clearance? If he his human, and from the past he probably has no idea what he could do with that access, so he just might be willing to give it up."

"Captain." Paris finally spoke. "If he is from the 21st centaury, they're the kind of humans that like to be in control of everything, and as you well know from our past experiences, power easily corrupts humans of that time. The second he finds out he has a full house on us, he just might call on us."

Tuvok came back into the frame. "There is of course one way to have such credentials revoked, for example in the event of death." There was a gasp or two in the room.

Torres was the first to react. "Even I think that's a bit too much. Talk about cutting our nose to save our face."

Janeway took charge again. "I'm sure Tuvok was only saying that as a pure and logical possible alternative." Tuvok nodded an affirmative. "I'll instruct Mr Frasier to come to my ready room to discuss the matter, I'll try Chakotay's suggestion. He seemed a reasonable type of person, this is when we'll find out. Any further comments before I end this briefing?"

Tuvok was the only one to speak. "Captain, I request you have at least one security guard with you in your ready room, he is a proven security threat."

"Very well Commander make it so, and have the guard outside Mr Frasier's quarters escort him up." Tuvok nodded. "Thank you all for your inputs and advice, dismissed." The staff got out their seats and headed out back to their stations, Janeway remained looking out at the stars.

While Voyager's primary mission was to get back home, a very close secondary was to seek out new life and explore space. What they had down in Deck 6 certainly qualified as new life, it's not exactly often 21st century humans spontaneously appear out of thin air on one's ship.

She still felt uneasy with this matter, being brought up as a scientist she was always used to everything having some sort of logical cause. While she disapproved greatly of the Caretaker's actions in bringing ships to the Delta Quadrant, she at least knew it was an advanced form of life with technology to match that was capable of taking them there. Janeway liked mysteries as much as anyone else did, but she wasn't a fan of unsolvable ones……

And that brings chapter 3 to a close. I didn't plan on the whole chapter being just the briefing, but rest assured the next one will focus on Voyager's visitor himself.

Hope you enjoyed, thanks for all the reviews so far, it's encouraged me to keep at it, and I'm looking for more from you!


	4. Real thought, or imaginative reality?

Title: "I'll have the Voyager covered with the reality syrup."

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek blah blah blah, you get the idea by now I'm sure.

Notes: Well I'm still here people, I've been bogged down in university work among other things and now I have some holiday time I can finally sit back down to this. I'll also take this chance to wish you all a very happy new year, and all the best for 2007! Now the story can resume….

Chapter 4: Real thought, or imaginative reality?

Brad was on his way for his meeting with the Captain, the corridors seemed to be devoid of anyone, he was alone on his little trip out of his quarters. Then, from his sixth sense, he could feel the presence of someone behind him, he turned to look.

Brad gasped. "Laura. What are you doing here?"

The young woman approached him. "Hello Brad, it's been quite sometime hasn't it? At least 8 months or so."

Brad focused himself. "You know damn why it's been so long. After what you did, and all the things you said to me after it, then calling me months later acting as if nothing happened. I never wanted to see or hear from you again after that, and I still feel that way, so don't test my resolve again."

Her face became one of both anger and sadness. "What you done was so hurtful to me, you drove a knife into my heart just to satisfy your own petty needs so can you really blame me for being so mad at you?"

He shot back. "Yes I can Laura. What you done to your brother was the last straw, you've become only a shadow of that sweet little girl I grew up with through all our school years."

His voice started to build in intensity. "In those five years we didn't see each other, the events that happened in your life have twisted you Laura, you're only prepared to blame everyone else in your life for your problems except yourself.

It took what happened on your 18th to open my eyes to that. We'd known each other for 14 years, you said I was your finest friend and when we got together you said you loved me. What the hell were you thinking that night? I think you were just going through sour grapes because not many people were able to come out for you on your birthday. You heckled your 16 year-old brother into coming, the only reason he didn't want to come was that he knew you would want to go to a club afterwards, and he would never get in because of his age. You promised him we'd go elsewhere if that happened instead you were quite happy to just go into the first place we went to anyway and throw him outside to find a taxi home!"

Brad's temper was rising fast, and his voice growing in volume, he still hadn't finished what he wanted to say, what he always wanted to say to her.

"I don't care if that night was your birthday, it should have been you pulling out all the stops for your brother, and instead I did. I was the one that took him home, everyone else agreed and went back home with me except you, that should tell you something."

He started outright shouting now. "Your blatant selfishness backfired and if you were left alone as you claimed, then you got exactly what you deserved!"

Laura now jumped in shouting before Brad could continue. "I needed someone I could trust! Who would always stand-by me, I thought you were it!"

Her voice started to quiet down. "You kicked me when I was down and I will never forgive you for that. You're just like my parents and my sister. Always letting me down, having me suffer when it should be you. I've been through too much for you to just rip my heart out."

Brad started to lower his voice in response to Laura doing so. "Laura, you're less than a year younger than me. You've already been raped, impregnated, had an abortion, tried killing yourself, been stuck on alcohol."

Brad's voice softened now, remembering their experiences. "Laura I can't make any of these journeys you're asking of me. I've spent far too many nights in bed alone worrying sick about you after you told me about all these things you've been through. I have nothing to help you with because I've never been through any of it."

Brad spoke with a hint of shame in his voice in parts. "I thought I could have helped you, I was over-confident in my abilities in trying to help."

Remembering experiences again, Brad tries to pick his words with care. "One hand I'm angry at you because you really did use to be someone of the highest moral integrity and on the other hand I simply pity for all you've been through, and again I'm angry with you because you've allowed all these things to happen to yourself. You have to take responsibility Laura. I'm not saying you could have prevented all of what happened to you if you did, but at least you would have recovered by now."

Laura broke out into tears. Neither of them moved, they were still a few feet away from each other. Brad folded his arms and stood straight, he wasn't going to be swayed from what he perceived Laura to be doing as a power-play.

After several moments, Laura finally spoke. "You're no different than the rest of them. You just see me as an easy target to use, to look big and strong in front of your friends. I…

Brad spoke loud and firmly as he interrupted her. "Enough dammit! I will not have you back in my life and throw it into chaos once more. I nearly lost my university place because of you, going to see you whenever you called because no one was there for you! We have nothing more to say you and I. I hope you get better one day. That will be the day I'd happily accept you back into my life, as a friend."

Their surroundings vanished. Brad heard a chiming noise nearby, then again a few seconds later. He blinked and all of a sudden he is rising off his bed in his Voyager quarters. It was all a dream, and Voyager was still here.

"Enter" Brad quietly said. Commander Tuvok was standing at the entrance and he spoke as the doors had opened.

"The Captain will see you now Mr Frasier."

Brad got off his bed and approached Tuvok. "Alright." Brad said. "Let's go." Brad smiled briefly as he remembered a certain someone who said that quite often in one of his favourite TV shows.

The two men started to walk in the corridors en-route to the nearest turbolift, Brad noted that there were a number people floating around this time. A good sign, he thought.

Brad thought there had been enough quiet so he started to speak to the tall Vulcan.

"Sorry about what happened earlier. Hadn't a clue any of it was real." Tuvok faced him briefly and began to speak.

"That is what the Captain says. Regardless of if you perceived your new environment as real or not, you acted in a completely illogical manner. However, those actions of complete illogic can confirm you are not a human being from the 24th century."

"You don't believe me?" Brad replied.

Tuvok raised his eyebrow in true Vulcan fashion as they stepped into the turbolift. "I do believe you Mr Frasier, only to a certain point. Bridge." The turbolift went into motion.

Tuvok spoke again. "I have noticed Mr Frasier, that your pulse is slightly elevated and your voice partially un-even. Are you requiring any medical attention?"

Brad was impressed by his observations, he didn't even noticed what Tuvok had reported on him until he said it. "I had a bit of a bad dream, well infact I'm not sure if it was bad or not, I think I'll need some time to soak up its effects. It ruffled some feathers from last year."

Tuvok nodded. "I assume you mean from your life in the 21st century?" Brad nodded. Tuvok continued. "Intriguing. You have now in your possession a very unique experience, you now must rely on the medium of dreams to experience what you consider to be your normal life. Yet your reality is now a place which people from your time would only dream of."

Brad nodded with some thought, he didn't think of the situation like that. "That's a very interesting point. So you say I must use my real thoughts and experiences to re-create my life as I knew it because of my now seemingly imaginative reality?"

Tuvok raised his eyebrow. "Perhaps." After what seemed only a matter of mere seconds the turbolift arrived at its destination and the doors opened.

With Tuvok first, they exited the lift he approached the ready room and hit the chime button. The doors opened and he gestured his arm for Brad to enter, Tuvok followed behind him.

And that brings chapter 4 to a close. As promised this focused on the character of Brad, hopefully it'll give you an idea of the type of person he really is. Work on chapter 5 has already begun so the gap between chapters this time will be much shorter this time, I promise.

Hope you enjoyed, thanks for all the reviews so far, it's encouraged me to keep at it, and I'm looking for more from you!


End file.
